Friday, May 25, 2012

Yesterday I left many sets of the flash cards at the school.
Today I was very pleased to see the English teacher already going through them
to determine what she might use in her class.

Each class today was Bingo time. We played Bingo last Friday and the
kids have begged for it every day. I told them we would do Bingo again on
Friday. Bingo gives the students good practice for speaking and hearing
numbers. The winner of Bingo is awarded,
not a prize, but the opportunity to call the numbers for the next game.

I had chosen the thought for the day before starting the
games, and then saw during Bingo how we fill the jug. The 1st graders
will literally count 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and so forth until they get to the right
number, whereas many of the 2nd graders can simply look at the
number and speak it. It shows how the jug is filled drop by drop with English
classes and English practice between 1stand 2nd grade. Bingo, both the game and the song, is also
good for helping students learn how to pronounce the English letter, I.

We have been using A-B -C flash cards and one set has
astronaut for A. One boy proudly showed me a picture he had drawn today with an
astronaut.

In the evening Lori was taken by Mihaela to Trattoria again
– it’s hard duty but someone has to do it!. We were joined by the principal
from Primary School # 2. Again a very pleasant evening.

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Today all my classes started with seeing pictures of the
Mississippi River that I have taken just outside my apartment on the trails
along the river. I also showed pictures of the ice carvings that are part of
Winter Carnival in Saint Paul, something different from what happens in most
cities during the winter. Every time we got to these photos the kids would go
Wow! They also enjoyed the short video that showed how artists use chisels and
saws to make these ice carvings. The remaining time for each class was filled
with singing songs, doing Hokey-Pokey, or playing Hangman.Thank you to Mihaela and Dan for translating.

Some of the students were curious about what I can say in
Romanian. I always start with the word for ice cream; that makes students
laugh. Another student asked me if I
knew where I was. When I replied, “Bârlad,” he told me I was right!

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Wednesday morning at 7:30 found all the Ohio people in the
lobby with their luggage, off to catch the 8:04 AM train to Bucharest. Their
final destination will be Seattle on Thursday that will go on forever!

Meanwhile Lori was back at Primary School #2 for two classes in the
morning and 2 classes in the afternoon. What do we do with the intermediate students?
One day they each received a flash card about a North American animal. They
were asked to present the animal, explain where it lived, desert or sea, for
example; what it ate; and what its babies are called. Another day this group
used flash cards about the states of the U.S. Lori explained that the states’
names come from English, Spanish, and American Indians languages. This helped
the students learn how to pronounce some sounds in English and also helps them
learn why the language seems to be so complex. After this lesson about the
states, one student came up to Lori and said, “I love geography!” The last
class in the afternoon, today, had 21 young students of varying abilities. I
was glad to have Dan there to help me with this class. They are full of
enthusiasm and energy, and 21 pieces of energy is a lot of energy!

At 6 PM the principal from the school, along with his son
and daughter, arrived to take Lori to “the best pastry shop in Bărlad. The
claim is true! The cake was lovely, and so was the ice cream.

After this great food, we went to the nearby city park and
walked about through the children’s area and then along the major boulevards in
the park. It was a lovely evening for a stroll. We were lucky for at 5 PM there
had been a major thunderstorm and when the principal returned Lori to the hotel
at 8:30 PM, the rain began again.

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

We all arrived at breakfast at 8:00, but for some reason
service was very slow, the slowest we had encountered. This made Lori nervous
as she had to be at her school at 9:00 for a class. Finally it arrived at about
the same time as did Dan and Mihaela. Mihaela and Lori were quickly off to
Primary School # 2 where Lori was expecting a class of adult teachers. However,
plans had changed and during the morning she had three classes of beginner
students.Back at the hotel for lunch
Lori enjoyed another Bulgarian Salad. Then it was back to Primary School # 2 for two
afternoon classes.

Meanwhile the Ohio group was off to the hospital for their
last day with the children there. They came back later in the day sad to leave
the children, but with wonderful memories in their hearts of these special
children and well as charming versions of “I love you” recorded on their mobile
phones.

At around 6:15 PM, two students arrived from a high school
and walked us back there. A group of students, mostly 10th graders
right now, had many questions about how they might study in the United
States.After the class we walked across
the street to Restaurant Alona for another wonderful dinner. We all walked back
to the hotel and Mihaela went with the Ohio group to the LIdl store to buy some
food for their Wednesday breakfast, since they will be leaving in the morning
before breakfast is served at the hotel.

Monday, May 21, 2012

When we arose the weather was cold and foggy, but by 9 AM –
a new sight – sun! We started our day as usual – Riane, Coley, Sarah, and
Andrew to the hospital and Lori to Primary School # 2 for our usual service
work.

The Ohio volunteers arrived
at the hospital to find sweaty children all bundled up as usual. By late
morning it was clear that the heat was putting a natural limit on both the
children’s and our activity level but we all still managed to have fun
interactions with the kidos in our own way.

At noon some hopped in the car with Dan for a scenic drive
through the nearby countryside while others were driven by teachers from
Romanian schools.

Our first stop was the High School in Zorleni. The Principal of the
school welcomed us and then we moved to the school library to hear a short
presentation about the school. We learned it has over 1000 students organized
into 32 different classes. We then each introduced ourselves, as did the
Romanian teachers who accompanied us.

The principal took us to the
school art museum. The Romanian sculptor, Marcel Guguianu, was once a student
at this school. The school has a few pieces of his work as well as a book
collection he donated to the school. The principal interrupted an accounting
class so that we could see what a high school classroom looked like in this
school. The school staff is rightfully proud that they have won two European
certificates that recognize the excellence of the education provided in this
school.

We then drove on the Bujoreni Monastery.To reach the monastery one drives about 10
minutes down a gravel/stone road through a forest. Then the trees open and one
sees a sight of great beauty.We learned
this monastery has its beginnings back in the 4th century. Then
during an invasion its most precious icon was hidden in a tree for protection,
and subsequently knowledge lost about its location for a very, very long time.
The story continues that some centuries later very rich merchants camped in the
forest as they were trekking through the country and a donkey carrying the gold
strayed from the camp. After a great search, the donkey was found kneeling in
front of a tree in which the icon was found to be hidden. This led to a renewal
of the monastery. For many years it was
knows as the Donkey Monastery, but its present name is Bujoreni.

It continued to grow and operate until the Communist takeover,
following World War II. It was nearly ruined by neglect in the 50 years that
ensued. In 1992 a few monks came back and began restoring the monastery
buildings and grounds. They continue to work to this day, as the piles of
lumber attest.

We toured the “old church,” overcome by its beauty. Then we
trekked to the “new church.” Because this is a building under construction, not
yet a dedicated church, we were able to take all the photos we wanted.

We toured through the farm buildings, learning that the monks keep
fowl for eggs, bees for honey, and cows for milk and the making of cheese.

I am quite sure that
no one in our group will soon forget the splendor of this place. And this afternoon
trip further helped us achieve a team goal of learning more about Romanian
culture.

Because we had a late luncheon at the monastery, we were not
truly hungry for an evening meal, but the warm day made ice cream sound good.
Thus, we walked back to Trattoria for just dessert. Over ice cream and coffee,
we reviewed the progress towards our goals and agreed they were being achieved.

Sunday, May 20, 2012

Coley, Riane, and Lori went with Dan to Iasi. Dan and
Mihaela graciously provided this trip in exchange for the driving Lori does
when the country managers come to Minnesota.(This trip was so wonderful that they will get 5 more years of driving
time in Minnesota! )

Our drive started out in rain and then about midway the clouds got
very black. There was heavy rain and even a few moments of pea-sized hail.
Thankfully the rain was left behind when we arrived in Iasi.

The first stop was the Botanical Garden since the rain had
ceased – but who knows when it would begin again.We had a lovely time wandering through the
conservatory as well the outside gardens, and then the rain drops made us all
run for the car.

Our next stop was a building at the university. We viewed
the beautiful hallway with frescos that showed Romanian myths or actual history
and also concepts such as knowledge. Then Dan asked the building manager if we
could see the Aula. What a treat. This room is incredible. The building manager
explained its design and told us that at points in time, this Aula was the
meeting place for the Romanian parliament. He went on to say that students may attend the
university for 3-4 years and never enter this room, so we were indeed provided
with some very gracious Romanian hospitality.

Our next stop was the Orthodox Cathedral. Dan explained the
story of the saint to which this cathedral is dedicated. We were able to enter
the Cathedral and see the beautiful stained glass windows and the splendid
altar which features perhaps 24 incredible icons – well they all are
incredible, it’s the number that may be wrong.

We walked towards the Palace of Culture. As expected, it is closed
for renovation. We did, however, enjoy the market in the plaza area, taking
home some items to bring memories of Romania.

We walked then to and St. Nicholas church and we were able
to witness a few moments of a wedding. The choir music was amazing – like the
voices of angels.

Our next stop was the food court in the Moldova Mall for a
late lunch. We then wandered back to the car and were on way back to Bărlad.
The sunny weather made is possible to truly enjoy the beautiful valleys along
this route. We had a great day.

In the evening the Ohio group made sure that Andrew properly
celebrated his birthday. The report is
that filet migon was found at Restaurant Alona.

Saturday, May 19, 2012

Coley and Riane, helped by Andrew as the “chauffeur,” went
to the hospital and worked with the children from 10 AM – 1 PM. They reported
it was a very quiet day.They then went
with Andrew for lunch and later toured a sculpture museum in Bărlad.Meanwhile Lori was just wandering around
town. Sarah was trying to recover from an illness. All who left the hotel had
to watch out for rain showers off and on all of the day.

Friday, May 18, 2012

Today we played music
and danced to songs like "acorn brown" and "the ants go marching
one by one". Alina showed us her marching skills while saying
"march" in her mouse's voice, Luca danced with Andrew, another
volunteer, and Delia danced back and forth in her seat.
We then had a
fantastic time playing with bubbles! Gabby especially loved to make the bubbles
pop with her nose! Luca wasn't quite sure what to think of them. I blew some
bubbles for Cleo, Lavinia and Emanuela - we got some big smiles from them. Even
Delia was flipping over in her crib to get to the bubbles I blew for her!
Afterwards we were
given the sad news that Gabby and Lavinia would be going back to the placement
center today. We said our sad "Pa"s to them as they got ready to
leave. We each were left thinking “I just wish I had more time to spend with
them.”

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Today was our second day at the hospital. It was wonderful
to arrive in the morning and already see looks of happy familiarity on the
children's faces. We got right to work, taking children outside, for walks down
the hall, or for cuddles in a cozy chair. The day continued as it started, full
of laughter (and some tears), songs, dancing, and lots of "Oh, he/she is so sweet! A particularly funny moment came when a male
member of our team attempted to pick out a new outfit for Luca. Despite an
honest effort, Luca ended up in a too-short shirt and mismatched pants. He, of
course, did not care one bit about his outfit, and we all had a good laugh.

It is wonderful to
hear the laughter in the halls throughout the day. Although it is a tiring day,
the tiredness is more than made up for by the warmth of the children and staff.
We're looking forward to another full and fulfilling day tomorrow!

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Today was our [the newly
arrived volunteers] first full day in Romania. We all slept well after a long
travel day and met at 8 for breakfast and then to go over our team goals before
headlining off to the hospital.

Walking in I was excited and
nervous, I had read and heard about what to expect but to meet these children
and work with them hands on was unlike anything I had prepared myself for. We
walked around and were introduced to the children and the nurses. Bonds seemed
to be made instantly between each team member and the children. Some team members
took the older children outside while others sat entertaining the younger or
were in the nursery caring for the infants. The children varied in age and
disability but each responded warmly to and returned our affection. Throughout
the day we all took on different roles trying to make sure each child received
much needed attention. We took a break for lunch and enjoyed a wonderful
Italian meal at Trattoria de Vinci before returning to the hospital. Once back
we resumed our roles with the children and began to help get them ready for
bed. We all left tired but happy after a wonderful first day with these
amazing children.

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Today Lori had two classes of intermediate students in the morning.
Today the school was having an Open House and many parents and community
members were about, as well as other children. Things were really humming.
Between the two morning classes, a TV reporter came to interview Lori. She
asked: “What is your project?” Lori explained that Global Volunteers come to
help the host community achieve their goals; we don’t come to tell people what
to do. And an interesting observation: This interview was totally conducted in
English, and the camera man spoke very good English too.

A surprise arrived in the afternoon. Lori had been expecting
groups of beginner students, but instead some were students from yesterday who
are more advanced than beginners. It took a bit of modification to come with a
different lesson using only the flash cards that were in Lori’s bag for
beginner lessons. One thing is certain—what these kids know – they really know.
They have not learned English by rote memory. They have real concepts attached
to the words. And every class today did Hokey-Pokey! That’s a lot of
Hokey-Pokey!

When Dan was returning Lori to the hotel, the heavens opened
and Bârlad had an intense thunderstorm.We tried to get the computer to attach to the internet, but discovered
the hotel’s internet was down.We gave
up for a later try. Finally at 5:30 PM there was a successful connection to the
internet on the first floor sitting area.Mihaela arrived at 7 to take Lori to dinner, again at Restaurant Alona ,
and she shared that the other volunteers
were on the train coming from Bucharest.At 9:00 PM Dan, Mihaela, and Lori met the arriving volunteers at the train
station, and we all returned to the hotel, where the arriving volunteers had a
late supper, and plans were made for a team meeting after breakfast on
Wednesday. Then they asked if there was
a trick to getting connected to the internet and that brought laughter
considering the work done in the past two days to make a connection. However,
before bedtime, all of the newly arriving volunteers were in the first floor
sitting area of the hotel easily connected to the internet and assuring
everyone they had arrived in Bârlad.

Monday, May 14, 2012

First teaching day! Lori had two groups of younger beginner
students in the morning; Mihaela went with Lori and did any needed translation
with the staff or students. The school staff are very gracious and the students
are quite motivated.And someone at the
school can make a wonderful cup of coffee – not to be taken for granted when
one is trying to accommodate to an 8 hour time change. Lori returned to the
hotel for a lunch of soup and salad – although salad comes looking a bit
different in Bârlad. Then it was back to the school for two more classes, this
time with more advanced students.Dan
went along this time to help with the translation. One class in particular is
quite advanced and what to do with them will be a challenge.

In the evening Mihala and Lori went back to Trattoria da
Vinci for an evening meal. Lori topped it off with a wonderful dish of Ice
cream.

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Lori had a nice breakfast at the hotel, and then managed to
fall asleep afterwards and had to be awakened by Mihaela’s phone call for the
planned meeting. The principal of the school where Lori will teach was waiting
to meet her – embarrassing – but hopefully people understand jet lag. Miheala
and Lori met to start the team goals and team characteristics. More team
members will be arriving on Tuesday, and the team goals and characteristics will
be furthered developed then.

Off to a lovely lunch at the Trattoria Da Vinci. The food at
this restaurant is wonderful and what good news – we will probably return more
during this stay. Lori worked with the
hotel staff to try to find a room in which the wireless will work – without
luck.We decided to give up and try
another room tomorrow. After a time of rest, it was off to eat again, this time
at Restaurant Alona. Lori tried Romania dishes of stuffed grape leaves, stuffed
cabbage, and mammalgia. All was very good. The wind is still howling.

Saturday, May 12, 2012

This service team began when Dan met Lori in Bucharest. It
was a very hot day in Bucharest, but the air conditioning in the car made the
trip to Bârlad easy. On the way they saw many different aspects of Romanian
terrain and life, including vendors along the road selling wine, cherries, and
tomato and pepper plants for gardens. They stopped for an early supper at the
McDonald’s in Bazău.After a day of sandwiches
on the various planes, a salad at McDonald’s tasted good to Lori.

Shortly thereafter, Bârlad began to appear on the road signs, and after 4 hours
of driving since the start at Bucharest, they arrived at the Hotel Occident.

Dan got Lori water to use during her stay, and then was away
to home after a long day of driving back and forth to Bucharest.The weather began to be very windy, but Lori
went for a short walk anyway in the area around the hotel, mostly observing the
places of worship nearby. The wind continued to howl through the night.

Leave Your Mark on the World!

Global Volunteers is a private, non-profit (501C-3) tax-exempt organization working at the invitation and under the direction of local leaders to deliver the 12 Essential Services to partner communities worldwide.Learn more about us here: Global Volunteers